Resource Database

The U.S. Surgeon General’s office has published an advisory report that compares children’s mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and explains the risk factors that are partly responsible for youth mental health symptoms. The report also provides ways that families, youth, and mental health advocates can support youth who are experiencing mental health challenges.

Research shows that intuition can play an important role in decision making. Y4Y has released a blog post that includes tips and resources on how to build a student’s confidence and self-awareness so that they can develop and trust their instincts.

As communities continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, educators are seeing an increase in the number of students experiencing anxiety, depression, fear, trauma, food insecurity, or homelessness. A recent webinar hosted by the Afterschool Alliance, Forum for Youth Investment, and Every Hour Counts, focused on SEL, its purpose, and how afterschool programs are using SEL to address consequences of the pandemic

Although educators and staff members are welcoming social and emotional learning (SEL) in their education spaces, it is unclear how parents feel about this topic. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute has published a report explaining differing ways that parents of K–12 children view SEL and its implementation in schools. One recommendation from the Fordham Institute is for educators to use plain language and refer to SEL with more commonsense terms, such as “life skills.”

Educators and staff must be mindful of the challenges that immigrant families face, especially when they include children with disabilities. The Global Family Research Project has released an article providing information on the needs of immigrant children with disabilities and recommendations for elementary schools so they can better serve these students.

Children should be introduced to multiple narratives and perspectives when they study history. Missing Narratives: Uncovering Untold Histories, a recent blog post from PBSEducation, encourages educators to learn the history of and construct lesson plans that include Native and Indigenous peoples. The blog post also includes links to PBS resources that educators can use to implement these practices.

All students should feel safe and respected on their school campuses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a brief that is dedicated to helping educators better support LGBTQ+ youth on their campuses.

As part of its America After 3 pm report on afterschool programs in the United States, the Afterschool Alliance has conducted research on the need for afterschool and summer learning programs in rural areas. The report finds that rural areas have experienced a sharp rise in unmet demand for these programs, as well as increasing barriers to participation. Dissemination and advocacy materials include the report, a dashboard, and fact sheets.

The American Rescue Act has provided substantial funding that can be used for afterschool and summer enrichment. The Afterschool Alliance has created a resource providing guidance on how afterschool programs can access funds from local school districts.

The Afterschool Alliance has developed a staff recruitment toolkit aimed at helping afterschool program leaders recruit qualified staff. The toolkit includes tips and resources related to marketing, funding ideas to manage staff pay, and messaging.